The Ewan McGregor War Film On Netflix That Will Give You A Panic Attack
Over the years, theatergoers have immersed themselves in the realities of war through features including Saving Private Ryan, Jarhead, Hacksaw Ridge, Dunkirk, and All Quiet On the Western Front, but in 2001, Ridley Scott crossed enemy lines in his feature, Black Hawk Down. And now, Netflix users can add it to their next movie night as the feature is currently streaming on the platform.
Starring a cast that included the likes of Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Jason Isaacs, Ioan Gruffudd, William Fichtner, Hugh Dancy, Jeremy Piven, Ewen Bremmer, Sam Shepard, and Tom Hardy in what would be the Venom actor’s first big appearance, Black Hawk Down focuses on the real-life story of a fight for life in enemy territory.
Based on Mark Bowden’s 1999 non-fiction book of the same name, the feature follows the United States 1993 attack in Mogadishu and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashes behind enemy lines. It’s here that Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, and other members of the military operation must save themselves or better aid in the rescue of their comrades.
Black Hawk Down also featured performances from Orlando Bloom, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Ty Burrell.
Like many other films based on true stories, the Ewan McGregor-led Black Hawk Down was piled with heaps of criticism due to a handful of historical inaccuracies. Nevertheless, critics agreed that it was one of the best movies of the year, with the title taking home the honor of Best Film Editing and Best Sound at the Academy Awards.
Likewise, Ridley Scott’s war-torn feature also proved to be a box office hit, with audiences flocking to theaters to see the latest project from the Alien and Blade Runner director, raking the production in a whopping $173 million against its $92 million budget.
Black Hawk Down was piled with heaps of criticism due to a handful of historical inaccuracies.
Along with landing Ridley Scott as a director and big names like Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, and Eric Bana for the leading roles, Black Hawk Down also tapped the orchestrating skills of celebrated composer, Hans Zimmer. Having previously worked alongside Scott on both Thelma & Louise and Gladiator, it was a no-brainer for the filmmaker to contact his old friend and bring him on board for his latest production.
For those who may not know, Zimmer is the recipient of two Academy Awards for Best Original Score for his work on The Lion King (1994) and Dune (2021) and also holds credits penning scores for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy as well as Inception and Interstellar, along with other titles including No Time to Die, Man of Steel, and The Last Samurai.
While his feature took home two Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, Ridley Scott also received a nomination at that year’s Academy Awards for Best Director alongside Slawomir Idziak for Best Cinematographer.
The feature would also go on to nab three BAFTA nominations, but Ewan McGregor, Tom Hardy, and the rest of the acting team wouldn’t receive any mentions for their work in Black Hawk Down.
Ewan McGregor’s Career
As for Ewan McGregor, he was already a star by the time Black Hawk Down rolled around, having previously appeared in Danny Boyle’s classic Trainspotting as well as other favorites like Velvet Goldmine and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Along with being featured in Ridley Scott’s war flick in 2001, the Big Fish star also appeared opposite Nicole Kidman in the movie-musical, Moulin Rouge! for which he received his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. So, despite not nabbing any mentions for his role in Black Hawk Down, it’s safe to say that Ewan McGregor still had a great year.
Following Ewan McGregor’s big win for Moulin Rouge! and his role in Black Hawk Down, the star only continued to burn brighter and brighter. The next several years would see him completing his time in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and appearing in a handful of other celebrated titles including Angels & Demons, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, August: Osage County, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Jane Got a Gun, T2 Trainspotting, and most recently, You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder.
2022 also gave the actor the rare chance to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Disney+ series of the same name.
If you’re looking for the perfect Netflix war-time film binge this weekend, look no further than tuning in for the up-and-coming talents of the likes of Ewan McGregor and Tom Hardy in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down.
